(721) BANMALI KUMAR (DIED) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS Vs. VASUDEO AND OTHERS[CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code, 1959 — Section 57(2), Section 257(f) — Jurisdiction of Civil Court — Exclusion of Civil Court Jurisdiction — Challenge to Revenue Authority Orders — Suit for declaration that orders of Board of Revenue (under Section 57(2) proceedings) are null and void — Exclusion of Civil Court jurisdiction under Section 257(f) is not absolute — Civil Court's jurisdiction is not excluded where statutory tribunal has not acted in conformity with fundamental principles of judicial India Law Library Docid # 2437418
(722) STATE OF GUJARAT Vs. HIMATLAL NATHULAL BHRAHMAN (BAVADFAD) AND OTHERS[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 378 — Appeal against acquittal — Scope of Appellate Court interference — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 306 (Abetment of suicide) and 498-A (Cruelty by husband or relatives) — Where the Trial Court's finding of acquittal is reasonable and plausible, and not perverse, the Appellate Court should not disturb the acquittal order, even if a different view might have been India Law Library Docid # 2437671
(723) STATE OF GUJARAT Vs. ZANZIBEN RAJUBHAI BANDHIYA[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 378 — Appeal against acquittal — Scope of Appellate Court’s power — Acquittal judgment by trial court for offence under Section 135 of Indian Electricity Act, 2003 (The Act) — Appellate court must give proper weight to the view of the trial court, the presumption of innocence, and the right of the accused to the benefit of any reasonable doubt — Interference is warranted only if the India Law Library Docid # 2437745
(724) STATE OF GUJARAT Vs. KARSANBHAI LAGDHIRBHAI RABARI AND ANOTHER[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — Sections 17(c), 29, 42(2), 50(6) — Appeal against acquittal — Illegal possession of opium — Compliance with mandatory provisions for search and seizure — Failure to comply with Section 42(2) and Section 50(6) of the NDPS Act — Prosecution failed to prove that the mandatory intimation to the immediate official superior was properly sent, as neither the India Law Library Docid # 2437746
(725) SHIVSINH GANPATSINH SOLANKI Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANOTHER[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973 — Section 372 Proviso; Section 378(4) — Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (NI Act) — Section 138 — Appeal against Acquittal — Right of Complainant/Victim — The Complainant in a proceeding under Section 138 of the NI Act is considered a "Victim" under Section 2(wa) of the CrPC, as established by the Supreme Court in Celestium Financial v. A. Gnanasekaran (2025 INSC 804). India Law Library Docid # 2437747
(726) LR OF BALVANTBHAI NATVARLAL PATEL AND OTHERS Vs. ARUNABEN NATVARLAL PATEL AND OTHERS[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Section 96 — First Appeal — Ex parte Decree — Setting aside of — Suit for Partition — Conduct of Appellant/Defendant — Failure to cross-examine plaintiff and lead evidence despite knowledge and opportunity — When suit instituted in 1994, preliminary decree passed in 2019, and final decree in 2024 — Party served with examination-in-chief, represented by counsel, and participated till a India Law Library Docid # 2437748
(727) ASHIMA SOOD Vs. TARUN JAIN[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 — Sections 13(1)(ia) and 13B — Dissolution of Marriage — Conversion of Contested Divorce to Mutual Consent Divorce in Appeal — Parties, whose marriage was dissolved by an ex-parte decree under Section 13(1)(ia) on grounds of cruelty/breakdown, reached a Permanent Settlement Agreement & Memorandum of Understanding during the appeal — Agreement provided for dissolution of marriage by India Law Library Docid # 2437749
(728) M/S. UTKAL REALTORS PVT. LTD. Vs. AKHIL AGARWAL AND ANOTHER[ORISSA HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 — Section 3(1) and Proviso — Ongoing Project — Completion Certificate — Determination of project status — A project is considered completed and not subject to the Act if it received a completion certificate prior to the Act's commencement, irrespective of whether an occupancy India Law Library Docid # 2438193
(729) STATE OF UTTARAKHAND Vs. ROYER NICOLE AND ANOTHER[UTTARAKHAND HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 — Sections 8, 20(b)(ii)(C), 29 — Appeal against acquittal — Scope of appellate court — Appellate court must be slow to reverse acquittal if trial court's view is a possible one, especially when evidence has been analyzed — Presumption of innocence is reinforced by acquittal. India Law Library Docid # 2438402
(730) SPL DY COLLECTOR Vs. V VENKATA RATNAM NAIDU AND OTHERS[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Land Acquisition Act, 1894 — Section 18 — Reference Court — Enhancement of compensation — Negligence in filing additional evidence — The appellant sought to introduce additional evidence more than 10 years after filing the appeal and without fulfilling the requirements of Order 41 Rule 27(1)(aa) of the CPC. The court held that India Law Library Docid # 2438494
(731) PASUPUREDDY KANNA RAO Vs. THE STATE OF A P[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 304A — Causing death by negligence — Proof of rash and negligent driving — Prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt — Evidence of "high speed" alone is insufficient without context or approximation — Manner of accident and victim's appearance before the vehicle not clearly established. India Law Library Docid # 2438495
(732) THE STATE OF A.P Vs. RAVILLA NAGABHUSHANAM NAIDU AND OTHERS[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — Section 378 — Appeal against acquittal — Appellate court's power to interfere — Generally, appellate court should only reverse an acquittal if the trial court's findings are perverse, contrary to evidence, illegal, or based on erroneous law or facts — Presumption of innocence of the accused is strengthened by acquittal. India Law Library Docid # 2438496
(733) NALLURU ST. MATHEWS PUBLIC SCHOOL Vs. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER AND OTHERS[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 (Act 30 of 1987) — Section 83 — Eviction proceedings — Jurisdiction — Endowments Tribunal lacks jurisdiction to order eviction of a Christian minority school from land that is prima facie government property. The Act is specifically for Hindu religious and charitable endowments and cannot be applied against Christian minority organizations. India Law Library Docid # 2438497
(734) SECY., FINANCE DEPT., THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND OTHERS Vs. CHAPARALA ADI LAKSHMI[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Administrative Law — Departmental Enquiry — Rule 20 of APCS (CCA) Rules — Violation of principles of natural justice — Failure to furnish documents and examine witnesses — The departmental enquiry vitiated due to non-furnishing of documents listed in Annexure-II of the charge memo to the applicant, despite her requests. Furthermore, the department failed to examine essential witnesses, including India Law Library Docid # 2438498
(735) THE STATE OF A.P. AND OTHERS Vs. G SRINIVASA KUMAR APPA RAO AND OTHERS[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 22-12-2025 Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 — Section 43 — Registration of charitable institutions — Properties donated to trusts for their objects — Donor's intent for use of property — Trust deed did not restrict properties solely for agricultural use — Restriction would defeat trust's purpose and impact revenue generation — Thus, properties can be used for India Law Library Docid # 2438499
(736) NADEEM S/O JAHIR Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH[HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT] 20-12-2025 Criminal Procedure — Application for Additional Evidence at Appellate Stage — Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Sections 348 and 432 (Corresponding to Cr.P.C., 1973, Sections 311 and 391) — Power of Appellate Court to summon witness or take further evidence — State moved application in a criminal appeal arising from POCSO conviction, seeking to re-examine the victim (PW-20) India Law Library Docid # 2438002
(737) RAMJEE PRASAD KAMKAR AND OTHERS Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR[PATNA HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 366A (Procuration of minor girl), 120B (Criminal conspiracy), and 376 (Rape) — Appeal against conviction — Appreciation of Evidence — Minor Victim — Age of victim: Medical evidence was inconclusive regarding the exact age of the victim, merely suggesting it was around 17 years and stating that third molar eruption range (17–25 years) made precise age determination difficult. India Law Library Docid # 2437159
(738) SULEMAN BARBHAIYA LAKHIMPUR Vs. THE STATE OF ASSAM[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Criminal Law — Murder (Section 302 IPC) — Appeal against conviction and sentence — Circumstantial Evidence — Last Seen Theory — Burden of Proof (Section 106 Evidence Act) — The appellant was convicted for the murder of his wife; no direct eye witnesses existed — Evidence indicated the appellant and deceased were last seen together, and the appellant admitted being with her when she India Law Library Docid # 2437230
(739) PANKAJ DIXIT Vs. THE UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Service Law — Promotion — Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) — Below benchmark grading — Communication of ACR entries — The petitioner, an Executive Engineer (Civil) in the Border Roads Engineering Service (General Reserve Engineering Force), was denied promotion in 2010-11 due to "average" (below benchmark) ACR gradings for 2005-06 and 2006-07 — Petitioner contended that these gradings, being a downgrading compared to other years, should have been India Law Library Docid # 2437231
(740) SRI CHIRANJEEB DAS Vs. THE STATE OF ASSAM AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 19-12-2025 Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964 (Rules of 1964) — Rule 9 — Disciplinary Proceedings — De Novo Enquiry — Powers of Disciplinary Authority — Absence of specific provision in Rules of 1964 for initiating de novo/fresh enquiry merely because Disciplinary Authority disagrees with Enquiry Officer's finding in favour of delinquent officer is established law — However, de novo enquiry is permissible to rectify serious defects or lapses in procedure (e.g., failure to furnish India Law Library Docid # 2437232